Store closings, openings in October: What’s really going on in retail?

Retailers are already gearing up for the busy holiday shopping season, prompting a flurry of store announcements to catch the attention of consumers.

Here’s what happened in October:

1. Robots have invaded Walmart: 5 things you need to know

The robots are helping scan and stock items in stores before the busiest shopping season of the year. The robots are about two-feet-tall and are outfitted with cameras that help them scan aisles and identify missing or mislabeled inventory across the stores. The robots also check for mispriced items, and give the information to employees who fix the issues. LEARN MORE

2. Von Maur announced it’s closing all stores on Thanksgiving

Von Maur, which has a location at The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek, will close "to ensure its associates have ample opportunity to spend time with family and friend over the holiday." Dozens of retailers have already announced they will close stores on Thanksgiving, the busiest weekend for shopping all year. LEARN MORE

3. Walgreens will close 600 Rite Aid stores

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. announced it would close 600 Rite Aid stores as part of its deal to acquire the drugstore chain. Illinois-based Walgreens agreed to purchase 1,932 stores, three distribution centers and related inventory from Rite Aid for an all-cash purchase price of $4.375 billion on a cash-free, debt-free basis. LEARN MORE

4. Home decor, furniture store to open as pop-up shop at The Greene

Locally owned Grit & Grain will sell its products from Friday through Sunday in the tenant space across from Sephora on Glengarry Drive. The shop also sold its items at The Greene last weekend. Grit & Grain specializes in handmade wood furniture, home accessories, farmhouse items and also some custom apparel and repurposed pieces. LEARN MORE

5. Target to offer free online shipping in November on all orders

Target is gearing up for the holiday shopping season by offering 12 new exclusive brands and free shipping on orders in November. Target has increased the number of stores that ship online orders to guests' homes to more than 1,400, making the delivery process faster and more efficient for guests. LEARN MORE

6. Shoe company to close all stores on Thanksgiving

Shoe Carnival, a footwear and accessories retailer, announced it will provide Thanksgiving Day off for all store associates and corporate employees to "spend time with their family and friends," according to a company statement. LEARN MORE

7. Sears, Whirlpool end partnership: What’s really going on?

Sears officials said in a note last week that it could not meet demands made by Whirlpool, which would make it difficult to sell its appliance at a competitive price, The Associated Press reported. Retailers like Sears have seen widespread stores closures and plummeting sales as consumers head online to websites like Amazon.com for convenient shopping. LEARN MORE

8. What’s going on with Beavercreek retail?

An application was filed by Dayton-based Civil Engineers of Southwest Ohio to renovate the former Logan's Roadhouse at 2819 Centre Drive in Beavercreek. The application requested a major modification of more than two acres of land on the building's property. LEARN MORE

9. 4 restaurants, retailers coming to vacant Logan’s Roadhouse

Developers are looking to add an addition and renovate the vacant Logan's Roadhouse near the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek — bringing four new restaurants and retailers to the area. LEARN MORE

10. 2 popular retailers open in Sugarcreek Twp.

The popular home decor and accessories retailer is open at 6134 Wilmington Pike. Bed, Bath & Beyond occupies about 28,172 square feet in the building formerly occupied by Cub Foods. Bed, Bath & Beyond is a chain retail store that sells bedding, bath towels, kitchen electrics, cookware and storage items. LEARN MORE

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